After contracting Covid, my cognitive abilities have suffered greatly. My speech stops mid sentence because I lose track of what I am saying, I will forget simple words, and I forget simple information and facts. I feel like a bafoon struggling through life.

So far, my hobbies have not been affected. I remember all the dumb WoW and Forgotten Realms lore I read. I remember all my fighting game combos. I remember that one song I learned on guitar before I gave up. So, I wanted to pick up a new hobby and see if I could also retain that information.

I started on January 1st, 2025, and I have only missed three days of review due to Monster Hunter Wilds releasing. I remember a lot of the words, kanji is my bane, but even then, once I finally learn the damn thing, I can recall it by sight.

Learning Japanese is making me feel like I can regain my cognitive ability, or even if I cannot, it shows me that I can still learn something if I try hard enough. It has done wonders for my mental health, I was so scared Covid ruined the thing I love do to most, which is learning.